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Fuelling your future talent pipeline

As UK businesses are on the post-recession upswing, this road to recovery brings about an increasing demand for high quality professionals. Creating sustainable pipelines of future talent is key to avoiding such candidate shortages.

According to a survey conducted by the Robert Walters Group, 35% of employers do not currently have a graduate or internship scheme in place. Having a robust graduate scheme in place can help combat talent shortages across entry level roles.

Initiatives focused on developing future talent can help employers not only form relationships with prospective candidates but also provide valuable skills and experience that graduates are looking to acquire. Although 68% of professionals said they view internships as way to improve their CV, over 50% of respondents regard internships as a stepping stone to securing a permanent role.

We asked Ben Tinker, Director of Talent Marketing & Insights, EMEA for Resource Solutions about what to consider before implementing a graduate recruitment scheme within your organisation:

What type of scheme will work for your business and for the graduates you hope to attract?

“A company’s brand will often attract speculative applications, but what type of student are you hoping to attract? The business reason for developing the scheme will clearly differ, and that is the obvious place to start. For example, a company looking to build future leaders would likely build a scheme which looks for high-achievers and sends its grads on a structured programme, taking in the major business/geographical areas to give them insight to each in preparation for a management role. A firm looking to build specialist functions may take the opposite view.”

What does your graduate scheme offer?“It’s vital to develop a credible and compelling proposition before going to market. Engage your communications team or outsourced provider for insight into what students are looking for in your space and establish what you can offer to match those requirements. Rather like a targeted version of your Employer Value Proposition, this should then act as your brief for creative development and channel planning.”

How will you deliver your messaging? “The UK graduate market in particular is very mature, with long-established market leaders, such as job boards Milkround.com (owned by News UK, giving links to the Times and Sunday Times readership) and Prospects. This more traditional media offering has seen serious challenges from companies such as Bright Network gradintelligence who offer content and data-led solutions, offering new approaches to matching employees with graduates.”

“Today’s graduates grew up in social networks, so your marketing plans should reflect that. Look to build communities of potential talent on social channels or within Candidate Relationship Management technologies, and deliver content about your organisation in a way that grads are accustomed to, in order to attract, keep warm and on-board new talent.”